The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Cooperative in collaboration with BAHA and OIRSA is currently holding its second International Regional Workshop for the Control of the Pink Hibiscus Mealy bug at the San Ignacio Hotel, Cayo District from the 12th to the 14th of July.

The objective of the three days event is to formulate a plan to expand the surveillance to other Central American Countries. This program was approved by the Committee of Ministers of Agriculture of Central America and funded by OIRSA so as to prevent the further spread of this pest into the other Central American countries.

Approximately 18 Technical participants from Central America including Mexico, Panama and the Dominican Republic will be participating in these three days even.

The first International workshop was conducted in Belize City in the year 2000 but the emphasis was on pest diagnostic, where Technical staffs of the Ministries of Agriculture of the OIRSA member countries were trained in the proper identification of this mealy bug.

Ten years after, the second International workshop on Pink Hibiscus mealy bug control program is being conducted. This workshop is the implementation of a mandate by the Ministers of Agriculture to expand the surveillance to the rest of Central America and to update the other member countries on the success of the biological control program implemented here in Belize.

The pink hibiscus mealy bug Macconellicocushirsutus, is a pest of quarantine importance worldwide and since its detection in Belize in 1999. This pest has over 200 host species and can restrict international trade of fresh agricultural commodities.